


Indian Summer

by Pale Rider (Boothros)



Series: Changing Seasons [10]
Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 07:44:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8481322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boothros/pseuds/Pale%20Rider
Summary: Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile.

Hathaway felt terribly guilty for fibbing to Lewis. Deviancy wasn’t in James’ nature but neither was causing his partner unnecessary pain. The safety net of collusion with Innocent hadn’t helped his frayed nerves any more than a depressingly fraught drive into Birmingham was doing.

In truth, he _was_ away for a meeting all day, though it had nothing to do with the Interdepartmental policing strategies that he had vaguely suggested. Robbie, in turn had said that Madam innocent must surely be grooming him for Superintendent stardom, adding to the guilt even more.

Sweeping into the gravelled driveway of the innocuous little hotel, Hathaway tried to gather his thoughts. He suddenly longed to be anywhere else but his current location, his preference being tucked on the settle beside the warm range in his beloved home. Robbie would be pondering over his latest recipe idea, scratching his head over how many ounces might equal a cup. Monty would be starting to make his presence felt, food uppermost in his greedy little feline mind. Freshly washed vegetables from the allotment would be softly dripping into the butler sink. A bottle of red would be gently breathing on the dresser, only awaiting the decent time considered by its appreciators before its demise.

Thoughts of home and all that he loved must surely make this venture worth it. Secretly meeting a beautiful young woman in a nameless hotel somehow didn’t seem conducive to domestic harmony, but James just had to _know_. The itch wasn’t going to be scratched by him simply sitting wondering. Bowing to whatever the Gods may decree, Hathaway left his car.

oOo

It was slightly comforting to note that she looked as nervous as he felt, though Hathaway had no real idea how to approach the woman in front of him. As this had all been her suggestion, he let her take the lead, looking at her blankly.

“Mister Hathaway. I … I, oh thanks so much for agreeing to this, there’s so much I need to …”

Suddenly taking pity on her distress, Hathaway dared to take her hand without really thinking about what he was doing. She appeared to melt at his touch and something told him that he might actually be doing the right thing after all.

“You had no problem calling me ‘James’ before. I’d appreciate it if you did that again now.”

“Oh, James … my God, you really _are_ good looking aren’t you?”

“And you are so very lovely but I’m not here fishing for compliments, I’m here because you asked me to be.”

“Oh I’m, sorry, I was just admiring my father’s good taste.  I’m nervous as hell if truth be told.”

“Have a thought to how I feel.”

“Yes, yes of course. Look, the first thing that I really need to say is how very very sorry I am. To _both_ of you.”

Hathaway looked at her dispassionately, suddenly changing the subject.

“Lyn, does this this place serve alcohol at all?”

“Does … why yes, yes it does, there’s the bar just through there …”

“Well I suggest we sojourn there then, don’t you?”

Relieved, they relocated to the sanctuary of the near silent bar area. The barman, quite obviously used to the trysts of everyday life kept a respectful distance after serving the drinks and James and Lyn were left alone. Boyed as the familiar glass touched her lips, Lyn Lewis started to speak.

“I treated you both terribly, Mister Hath … James, I owe you an explanation.”

“You don’t owe me a thing. Your father’s a very different matter however.”

“How is he, James, I miss him so much.”

“He’s well. I would have let you know if he wasn’t.”

“And how are you two? Is it working between you both?”

Hathaway was suddenly on the defensive.

“We’ve bought a house together. In the summer I was seriously injured and Robbie nursed me back to health. I took his place as Inspector but we’re working together again on a regular basis. Against _my_ better judgement, Robbie chose to let you and Jack go as was your will. If you’re here to try and persuade me to give him up, Lyn, you may be disappointed. He doesn’t know that I’m here and if you simply want to see the last of me, I can drive away right now and he never will.”

“Oh, James, I was wrong, alright? I’m not a homophobe! Christ I’m a nurse, I work with gay people every day of the week. If truth be told, even if you _were_ a middle aged woman I would still have tried to hate you.”

“Don’t you want your father to be happy whatever his choices?”

A second round loosened Lyn’s tongue further and she changed the subject.

“James, I hated being pregnant. Jack wasn’t planned though Tim and I were pleased of course. Carrying him wasn’t so easy. I hated the invasion of my body and my life, I just wanted him out of me.”

“Robbie was always thrilled after you’d called, he’d thought that you were blooming.”

“Well you don’t tell your da’ you’re cursing this new life you’re responsible for and that you wish he’d never happened. Not when your own mam had made such a fine job of mothering. Jack had a complicated birth and I never bonded with him for an instant, I was just glad he was out.”

“You know that your father would always have been there for you, that he wouldn’t have judged you for a second?”

“I should have known all of that, James but at the time I didn’t know a single thing. I was a trained nurse but it still took fifteen months before I was diagnosed with severe post-natal depression. Before I found out about you and Dad I’d almost nearly lost Tim. God knows what I put that poor man through. That trip to Oxford was me trying to escape my own life, James. Seeing you and Dad together just fired the powder keg I had brewing. It was easy after that, I just blamed you two for all the sorrow in my life.”

“You broke your father’s heart.”

“Oh, God, James, I’m so very sorry. Two months after I last saw him I got onto the meds I needed to straighten me out. It’s better now. I love Jack and Tim has forgiven me I think.”

Relaxing finally, Hathaway glanced at his phone, noticing the time.

“Lyn have you got a room booked here tonight?”

“Yes I have.”

“In that case, do you fancy getting really, really pissed with me?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe!”

Hathaway made the payment to change Lyn Lewis’ stay from a single to a double and sent a quick text ensuring that though alcohol had impaired his better judgement, he would be back with Robbie by the following afternoon. After a simple meal, Lyn and James laid back on the bed in uncomplicated companionship, the uncorked bottle of brandy between them.

“My mother died a year after yours. I know how that can affect a person.”

“Oh James, I’m sorry, I never knew.”

“Nothing you can have done about it, so don’t be. You still have a father though. One who loved you unconditionally and never caused you pain.”

“Oh, James were your parents cruel to you?"

“No not in the least. We lived for a bit though on this big country estate. My father was grateful to them for his employment there and thought the fact that the estate children were so well looked after was wonderful. The fact that the master of the estate saw children in a rather different light wasn’t plain to my father until many years later. He’s got dementia now.”

“Oh my God, James were you … were you…?”

“Was I abused? That doesn’t really matter. I could have blamed my father for taking us to that place and hated him therever after, but I never did.  Most parents don’t _choose_ to hurt their children. Robbie wouldn’t have chosen to hurt you if his life had depended on it.”

“James Hathaway, have you room in your life for my mother?”

“Well seeing as I paid for the framing of her picture that forever graces our bedside, I’d say yes.”

The finishing of the brandy bottle finally brought the two together. Snuggling for warmth, neither noticed when Hathaway reached for the duvet to cover them both.

oOo

In the cold light of an early winter day, James Hathaway made his final pitch.

“Will you come?”

“Of course we will.”

“I’m not telling him. I can’t put him through you shitting on him again.”

“We’ll be there.”

“And the other thing?”

“I’ll try James, It won’t be this year obviously but if I can make it happen I will.”

Having to be satisfied, Hathaway pointed his car southwards. Birmingham was a dire place which he never wished to visit again though he somehow missed its clutches as he left its outskirts. There was a beginning of warmth here that belied the cold bleak November morning. Thoughts of Oxford warmed him further. Robbie Lewis was at the end of his long journey, Robbie who hated secrets and even more detested lies.

So hoping that for once he had done the right thing, James Hathaway put his foot down and headed for home.

~~~oOo~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
